Precious
by SpaceWolfWarrior
Summary: No matter who you are, there's always something important in your life. It can be a person, an object, anything. The rebellious Star Wolf learns this in the strangest way.
1. Hired

**Precious **

**Chapter 1 - Hired**

I hurled myself into the couch, pulling off my gloves and grabbing the first aid tool. I highlighted my scrape with the disinfecting ray. The wound on my left forearm wasn't bad, but they way it stung me made me annoyed and uncomfortable.

"You okay there, Wolf?" Panther asked me without looking, probably guilty. He took his time to say that, as he was just sitting on the opposite couch. It was his fault after all - I told him to guard my back from the goons while I prepare the bomb, but I guess he got careless. My vest was also a bit too thick for agile movement to protect myself, which I should have thought before going on a ground mission, so I might as well forgive him.

"Yeah, I'll live."

"I've seen worse," Leon chuckled. I knew why.

It was supposed to be an escort mission. We got hired by some company to protect their goods from trade route bandits, probably because they thought official security would be crap - not that I disagree though; they were like drop-outs from an academy. The mission itself wasn't hard though. Nothing we couldn't handle. It was also high-paying, so was a win-win situation.

"Well, this just means a better mothership for us then," Panther added as he removed his laser-proof armor. "Couldn't expect more from good ol' Corneria, eh?" Yeah, he was right - this mothership was starting to break down. This was a gift from the Cornerian Defense Force after saving them from the Anglar Invasion, although now it seemed like a rejected, recycled junk waiting to break down. Now that I thought about it, we were soon forgotten as heroes the moment they stopped needing help. "So... Wolf... what's our next job?"

I didn't really want to move myself. The wound was already treated and the sting stopped, but I felt lazy after recalling what we did in our previous mission. I had no choice though. Besides, Leon had already opened the console.

"My, my, Wolf, are you into escort missions lately? Our next job seems to be like it," he spoke with an irritated voice. I never took jobs with similar activities - it's boring. I wonder what made me took it.

"G.P.?" Panther asked.

"Anonymous client," I told them. Yeah, I had a policy of not taking anonymous clients, but for some odd reason I felt that I could trust this one. "Look at the offer - five hundred thousand credits. All we have to do is protect this Doctor Faust Reginald's cargo going from Corneria to Zoness. We'll rendezvous at Permissons Port at eleven o'clock."

"Sounds iffy," the feline commented. He pointed to me the fine print. How could I miss that? "There'll be other guards as well, and we are expected to work together. I know I can cool myself, and Leon would probably stay put if you tell him to, but I dunno about you..."

He was right to be honest. Unless it was Panther or Leon, I would have trouble getting along with other people, especially military people. However, the contract had been accepted, and the client was unknown, so canceling the offer would be both pointless and dishonorable. I always kept my word.

"We'll do it."

I decided to go to bed. It might give me the mood for tomorrow.

I decided to be more prepared this time. While Leon and Panther suited up with their usual gear, I thought of trying a different look - I want to be at least more agile. I separated my shoulder pads from each piece, allowing my vest to be unzipped. Instead of the usual black sleeved undershirt, I picked the sleeveless black wife-beater for an easier movement. Fingerless gloves for claws... I might as well put them on just in case. A small booster pack at my back wouldn't hurt much.

"Are you accessorizing?" Panther suddenly blurted out at door of my room. "We're about to go, you know."

I was about to go when I forgot to put on my belt. It was hanging on the clothesline, with the golden wolf emblem buckle shining. It made me remind of something... the locket. I grabbed both and put them on. They were precious to me. You could say that I lived through the dangers because of them.

"All right, I'm coming."

It wasn't easy crossing the streets of Corneria before. You know you weren't welcome in the city when people would shut their doors and windows upon seeing your presence. A sign of fear? Yeah. A sign of rejection? Yeah. The hero parade we had upon the defeat of the Anglars pretty much opened doors for us here, although now, it felt like it was nothing. Heroes tend to be forgotten after all. Heroes like _them_.

"Persimmons Port... that Persimmons building," I thought to myself. I recalled that fight against the Aparoids. Something drove me to save his life back then. Was it because I wanted to crush him myself? Was it because our rivalry made me less rejected? It had been a year after all, and I had not heard something from him.

"The general?" Leon gasped, taking my attention as well. It was Peppy, General Peppy. G. P. "Now this is getting interesting."

"Ah, Star Wolf," the old rabbit spoke. "It's been a while. How are you doing?"

"Pardon the question, General, but why did you call us?" Panther asked. I was about to cry out the obviousness of the answer when I realized what he meant - why us, not _them_?

Peppy just chuckled. "Don't be modest! I've heard of your recent exploits, and I must say, you're one of the finest squad out there."

"Don't you usually call _them_ first?" I asked. It seemed like he ignored it.

"I'm sorry but I'll have to answer that later. Dr. Reginald is here."

The three of us were a bit surprised to see a brown dog carrying a paper bag full of paper clip boxes and masking tape. He seemed eccentric with his clothing, and his hair showed that he didn't have a bath for days. "Boys, this is Dr. Faust Reginald, a bio-engineer and an old friend of mine."

"Ah yes, yes. My bad! The lab ran out of paperclips and sticky tape. Too much paper work for me, hah!" he jerked out as he rested his stuff on a table. "So this is Star Wolf, eh? You three look quite... healthy!" He suddenly laughed. We were so surprised that even Leon felt an odd sensation.

I really couldn't help but ask, "Are you... mental?"

"Oh, ho, ho, Mister Wolf, if I was mental," he answered as he emptied his paper bag, turned it upside-down and placed it over his head, "I would be going like this - LOOK AT ME! I AM A PSYCHO! FAUST! FAUST PSYCHO! I AM PSYCHO!"

Peppy cleared his throat. I could tell he was feeling a bit embarrassed. "Anyway, Dr. Reginald is researching on various medical breakthroughs. He has sent many a proposal letter to various planetary medical research facilities, and out of all of them, one responded. An offer came to him, given by the Institute of Medical Research in Zoness. He would have to move his work there - the cargo you will be delivering. Normally, there's no need for escorts, but as you may have already know, space goons have become more aggressive after the Anglar invasion, not to mention the Defense Force being crippled and haven't fully recovered yet."

"And it's our job to keep an eye on this, right?" Panther responded quite eagerly. He seemed to like chivalrous deeds after all. "It doesn't sound so bad. What about the doctor?"

"He'll be taking a separate transportation vehicle," the rabbit replied. Somehow I felt the idea of having the doctor in a different ship a bad one, but I trusted Peppy's decision in this one. "He won't be targeted because he wouldn't be in a cargo ship but in a usual civilian transport. Space bandits are more into the materials rather than taking hostages, especially with the idea that most Cornerian citizens taking public transportation have little money to give." I never thought of that.

"Hmm... nice... but still," Leon asked, "where is this group who should cooperate with us?" Yeah, it was in the deal after all, and I had not seen one guard.

"You mean the ones that you will team up with... Hmm..." Peppy looked around a bit and sighed. "They're usually not late."

For some odd reason, this group gave me a familiar thought.

"Sorry, we're late. Had to deliver something somewhere around the city." A figure came running along with three others. Star Fox!

"Aw... don't tell me," the bird Falco stammered. For once, I would like to share the same reaction.

"Heheheheheh... The rabbit really pulled the strings to make us come together! I don't mind though. Having them around would make the trip less boring!" Leon smiled. I agreed on the first part, it seemed Peppy had pulled a fast one on both of us. I could tell Fox and lackeys were also shocked.

"Look, both of you," Peppy spoke, this time, in a stern, gripping voice - basically a real general's tone. "Your teams are both known as the best Fox, Wolf. This mission is vital - research for medicine, for the benefit of the people of Lylat system, it all rests on your ability to work together."

"I know me and my team can do it. All we need is cooperation," the kid suddenly talked. What an overconfident fool.

"Just don't get in our way," I growled at him. "You don't know how space pirates think, so I suggest you leave them to us."

"Please, will you two stop fighting!" his girl suddenly stepped in. "Let's just get in the ship and get through this." She crossed her arms and entered the ship.

"Indeed," Panther responded as expected, following Krystal. "The journey is five days if I am not mistaken... Perhaps a time for us to get to know more about each other...?"

Get to know more about Fox? Please.

"Sheesh, just get in," the bird growled. Leon and the frog went in inside as well. I looked at Fox's eyes first before giving him a growl. He simply closed his eyes and shook his head before boarding the cargo ship. What the heck was that for?

"Better get this thing done," I sighed. I was about to step inside when Peppy whispered to me something.

"Sorry about the ship. I knew it wouldn't last a year under the conditions your teammates always face, but it was too late for me to replace the gift supposedly for your heroic actions. After this, I promise to make it up and give you a better one, and I won't cut it from your reward."

I glanced for a bit, a bit touched, and smiled.


	2. Company

**Precious**

**Chapter 2 - Company**

I realized that despite having Star Fox as a company, especially the lovely Krystal, the trip would still be boring. I might as well keep myself busy. I would really want to write on my log, but I couldn't move myself to pick it up from my pocket in the presence of six other people.

"Well... now what?" the big wolf growled.

"M-maybe I should just check the bridge," the frog croaked. The last time I checked, the ship was in auto-pilot mode, with manual piloting disabled for security reasons. "Well, I'm not gonna pilot this thing you know! I'll just check out the place..." I dunno, but something held him back. "Er... I'll just stay here..."

That was it. I could not hold it anymore. I stood up, made a glance at the lovely vixen which she sadly did not catch, and coughed out, "Right now, are we going to spend five days in the lounge? If I may be so bold, I'd check out the supplies for something to eat and drink." Of course, I would need someone to be testing the food just in case it would be expired. "You, frog. Come with me."

"Err... okay..."

"Excuse me," the fox suddenly stood up. It Look like he couldn't stand Wolf staring at him. "I am... sorta hungry too. I'll go with you."

"Better keep an eye on him then, heheheh," Leon responded as expected. Although I wished he would tone down his creepiness. It sometimes gave me shivers on my tail. "I wanna check out the things as well."

The bird then stood up. "Hey, no way I'm letting you out of my sight!" Just as I thought.

I had a feeling everyone would follow. Wolf was about to say something so I might as well save him the trouble.

"We'll all go."

At least we wouldn't be spending more time at the lounge.

The fridges at the kitchen were quite supplied bountifully. They were easy to cook as well. I began putting a semi-frozen, filleted tuna on a pan when I saw the others preparing some food. They really weren't talking to each other.

"Strawberry! You can't eat that sandwich without strawberry jam!" I heard Leon speaking out to the frog. I was amazed on why he suddenly gave a suggestion. Then again, he always insisted us on buying strawberry jams. I glanced a bit, and saw the frog submitting to him. "Yes... yes! Spread it!"

It took only a matter of time before the amphibian's eyes widened after taking a bite. "Wow... This is delicious!" he muttered. I shouldn't be surprised. Leon after all, cooked a lot back at base. I saw the frog eating up the sandwich within minutes, probably because he wanted more.

"Heheheh, as always, my talent never fails!"

"Panther?" I suddenly gasped at the voice that echoed at my back. It was Krystal behind me. "What are you cooking?" It was time to make a good impression.

"Ah, dear Krystal," as I always said, never forgetting to complement a person like her, "I am cooking something special. We cats delight on fish, and I have learned some interesting recipes that are quite delicious." A short snarl should add the heat. "Maybe you'd like to... say... join me?"

I heard Leon saying something like, "You? Cook something delicious? Hah!" It was only after that had I realized that my fish was already smoking.

"Panther!"

"Oh no!"

Crap. My fish. My food. It was overcooked! I was distracted... stupid me, and it happened in front of Krystal, of all people! I felt humbly embarrassed, that I wasn't able to move.

"Let's clean this up," she whispered gently. Her voice made me feel a bit better, but I must recover from this embarrassment. She was about to turn off the stove. How un-gentleman of me!

"Allow me," I purred. A simple press of buttons sent the wasted meal into the disposal mechanism of the machine and allowed its self-cleaning function to operate. My stomach grumbled however, making me realize that I had no food cooked. She chuckled as she went back to Fox. I realized that I lost my coolness in front of her, that she might consider me low.

"Here."

I was a bit startled when someone said that. It was from the bird. He threw something at me which I quickly caught. "What's this?" The smell... tuna?

"Special Lombardi Three Decker," he explained. "Fish special." Just as I thought, he would brag about it. As always, the nitwit would try to impress me with this plain sandwich. "Don't look at it. Just eat it. Lucky for me the ingredients are available here."

Hmph. Still, I was hungry. I took a short bite... "Huh?" It felt like a flood of flavors mixed in a single bite from the sandwich. "What...?"

"My mom used to make them for me," he snickered. "She said it was passed down from her side of the family." Family heirloom, eh? No wonder. What amazed me however was that even Leon, who was able to snuck one piece from Falco's tray, felt the deliciousness of the sandwich.

"You... Impressive," he complemented, _appreciated_, the food made by his enemy. "What is this made of?" Before I knew it, the two were actually discussing on how the sandwich was made.

I was done with my meal. Before I left, I saw Wolf staring blankly at Fox and Krystal, occasionally biting his food while rubbing something in his chest. "Something wrong?"

"Oh," he suddenly gasped. I guess I startled him. "It's nothing. I'm still not done. I'll... I'll stay here." That was a weird response. Granted, he might be obsessing about taking down Fox, but this one might be pushing it a little far.

I walked along the hallway, seeing the starry space from the glass walls. Their peculiar design made me stop. I wanted to behold their marvel. "The Hunter," I recalled. My mother told me stories about the panther hunter who was so strong that the gods envied him. It was one epic bedtime story, especially when you could see the stars.

It wasn't long before I recalled something important. How could I forget something so significant in my life? My mother always tucked me to bed, telling the stories of this hunter. She would kiss my forehead before going to bed, telling me that I could be like the hunter if I tried my best. Her warmth... Her passion... I miss them...

"Are... you... all right?"

"Krystal!" I gasped a bit. I felt a tear fell off my eye. "Sorry... I was... just looking at the stars. It reminded me of something. Not that I mind your company, but shouldn't you be with Fox?"

"He was looking around the ship with Falco," she told me. An opportunity to be with her arose. "I decided to stroll around when I saw you looking at the stars. Your eyes... they were quite... deep." She noticed? I really didn't want her to see my soft spot. No use lying to her though.

"Well, I never said this to anyone, Krystal," I spoke back with a bit of shyness that I couldn't even complement her, "but... these stars... the constellation of the Hunter, they remind me of my mother."

"How sweet," she responded in a sweet tone. Hmm... She seemed to like it. "She does it every time you go to bed?"

"Heh, yes, whenever she's at home," I told her. "That is, before... the war took her." The bitterness that came with the sweet memory splashed at me - the coldness that I felt when I heard about this chilled me. "She was a medic... and medics were considered vital... So vital that they were the first targets..."

"Oh... I'm sorry to hear that... and I'm sorry to make you recall it..."

"Nah, I'm fine," I told her. "She left me with my family's emblem - a rose and the armor. I had it readjusted to fit me, as my ancestors did. I became a space mercenary because I vowed to her that I will be like the Hunter that she saw within me." For some odd reason, I didn't want to tell her that I had a small rose garden in my room. No, I wanted to tell her something different.

"Panther," she held my hand a bit, giving it a warm touch before smiling. "Your mother is proud of you, I can see it." She then frowned for a bit before leaving. Was she... sad?

"Krystal?"

"It's nothing," she looked back at me with a smile. "Thanks for the talk." She exited the hallway, leaving me alone once more, glancing at the stars. I thought about what I said to her as the Hunter constellation left the view. I felt light.

I began walking again to exit the hallway. I grabbed my log on the way out, writing "Day One at the Cargo Ship".


	3. Secrets

**Precious**

**Chapter 3 - Secrets**

Everybody left the kitchen save me, the bird, and the frog. The frog was enjoying my sandwiches while the bird stayed to keep an eye on me. I didn't care. I just stayed to cook.

Cooking was something I always wanted to do. It was something I revel. Maybe my exterior didn't show it off - maybe this cold nearly-psycho assassin persona hid my ability to bring delight at tasting something. To be quite honest, I thought it was offending.

"I am still surprised that you can cook," the bird told me. I was being mocked. How dare he assume that I could not prepare a meal! I was holding the spatula so tightly, hoping to smack it with his head. "You, of all people!" That was it. I might be trained to hold back any sort of feeling and to follow any orders, but I would be forced not to follow the "no hurting" policy just to shove this spatula to this bird.

"That's it!" I yelled, stabbing the utensil to his chest. He made a short yelp as he tried to struggle my thrust. I wanted to pry out his heart for what he said. He deserved it! "YOU DESERVE TO DIE FOR INSULTING ME!"

"H-hey lizard boy, chill off!" he suddenly blurted out while trying to struggle. Seriously, giving an insult and expecting it to be taken lightly! "That was just a j-joke! Seriously! Hey, cut it out!" It took me a while to realize that it wasn't worth it. After all, no one could tell about your cooking skills if you had an exterior that didn't fit their description of a good chef. I hurled the spatula away and returned to the counter, minding the food again. "Let's be honest here. No one really expected you to..."

"Falco, why won't just shut your beak for once?" I was surprised to hear the frog say that. "At least he made some nice stuff for us. I know it looked pretty weird coming from Leon at first but then I looked at myself and asked how other people would see me as a mechanic, despite my lack of height or my tendency to get nervous!" I... I was impressed. I never expected to be defended by someone like him. No one outside Star Wolf would try to defend me. Hell, even I didn't think Wolf or Panther would defend me.

"Sheesh, okay, okay," the bird apologized. I had a feeling that it wasn't coming from his heart, but why should I care? I never cared about emotions. "Fine... I'll make it up to you. I'll do the dishes to help you out!" He began to walk beside me and grabbed the hose nozzle of the sink.

To be honest, I was a bit delighted that I wouldn't be doing the dishes. I never cleaned them, even back at the base.

"Finally, you've become useful!" I grinned, finishing the sandwich and gobbling it up. "Make sure you clean everything! I don't want to see any stains or spots on the utensils and dishes!" That should make him work hard.

"Who do you think you are, ordering me something like that?" he suddenly retorted. He was really getting annoying.

"Well, you said you will do the dishes, so I expect them to be really clean!"

"I said I'll do them to help you out, not to give an opportunity to boss me around!"

Whatever. Just yelling and yelling. He wouldn't stop. "Fine! Just... just do it!" I finished my meal anyway. I drank a whole glass of water before leaving him alone. I was sure the frog would keep him company anyway.

"Hey, Leon!"

I turned around. I saw the bird holding the water nozzle and firing off sprays of water. Gah, he was playing! A splash hit me at my face, but it wasn't much. I felt cold though. It was too cold. Cold... The force of the water hitting at my face. Then flashes... Flashes... flashes of memories suppressed. They returned. No... Not again.

"Hahaha! That was for poking me with a spatula earlier! Now we're even!"

Water!

"Huh? Leon? What... why are you curling on the floor?"

No... Dam... Raining hard... Flood... Houses... Washed away... People... The village... The people... Sister!

"Falco, cut it out! Something is wrong with him!"

Water! The cold water... washed off everyone... No... The tiny village was destroyed... It was because of the water!

"I wasn't doing anything... Sheesh..."

They suddenly sparked back in head. How could a simple splash made me recall all of them? Was it the cold temperature?

"Leon?"

So... so much pain! I didn't want to recall them! Everyone died because of a simple rain. Why did it resurface? Wasn't my training enough to shut them down even if cold water would hit my scales? But... then I wear a full cover for my body... was it because I didn't want to be reminded of this?

"Hey, lizard boy..."

No, I must not be seen like this. I had to run. I quickly sprinted off the room, heading to somewhere private. The bunk room would be a bad idea. Staying in closets - isolation - would only make it worse. I had to find someplace peaceful to channel these memories back!

I kept hearing them. Their cries and wails. Their houses ruined... as well as my house. Everybody was flushed away, even pops and mom. My eyes began to release tears. I have to suppress these memories again. They were too painful for me to remember!

The bridge was silent. No one was there. Finally... peace... I sat at a chair and tried to purge them off. I cleared my mind. One of the tenets of assassination was to clear yourself with emotions, memories and feelings. It was to make a hard shell so that no one would be able to penetrate your thoughts. The mind could be the weakest part of anyone after all.

To seal them however... meant not to accept these memories. I wasn't able to accept the pain because I kept suppressing them. I wanted to have a chance to confront these sad memories that bothered me every time I get reminded of it. It was too painful... I was afraid of it...

"Sorry... I can't... I must forget... Forgive me..."

I was hopeless. I was cold. I was heartless, very unforgiving even to myself. I laid myself down on the desk and began to struggle really hard on suppressing them. Their eyes, the people of the village, looked at me coldly. Why wouldn't I accept them?

"Leon?"

No... it was the bird! But how... Of all things I had to forget, I forgot to close the bridge door!

"Leon... you... wait... you're crying?!"

Too late.

"This is some sick joke! Seriously, crying something about getting wet is so shallow and not to mention out of character!"

Out of character? Was I been holding these memories for so long that I had already established myself as a sadistic, emotionless spine? Was I really that obsessed with hiding my pain so much that no one could even judge me outside of my appearance? No wonder I couldn't be considered a great cook.

"This... is none of your business!"

I wiped off the tears of my eyes and left. The last thing I want to happen is the bird seeing me cry. I had to focus. I couldn't let the memories pull me back.

"Leon, I'll be honest with you. I don't want to act like a jerk, and since we're sharing the whole ship, we might as well get along."

Get along?

"You... you have no idea what you are talking about!"

"Seriously, I..."

Thank goodness the alarm broke off. "Everyone, get ready. Space pirates coming towards us." Wolf spoke through the intercom.

The good news was that I was able to brush off the bird off of my scales. The bad news, however, was that I wasn't mentally prepared for the battle. I was still conflicted.

Flood... It was flooding... and they all died because of the dam cracking... The dam cracked because I was there.


	4. Conflict

**Precious**

**Chapter 4 - Conflict**

For some odd reason I was feeling a bit nervous. I looked again at the console inside the monitoring bay. There were indeed small bogeys circling the path of this ship. I couldn't understand it though - why was I feeling worried? They were just run-of-the-mill bandits. I took off my vest and rested myself on the chair. My life had always been in the line, knowing the dangers of the world where the law could not reach. I wondered why I am feeling this tension. Was it because there were other people with me in this ship?

"We don't have our ships boarded in this thing," Fox spoke at my back, hurling me with a blaster. "There aren't even any defensive ships in this thing. We can't engage them in a space battle." Rats, I should have asked Peppy to board at least one Wolfen. "This cargo has some defensive turrets, but if they penetrate through our defenses, then we have to blast them off."

"Your plan... How sure are you that this would work?" I asked.

"Well... This ship has seven great pilots. Besides, shouldn't the great Lord O'Donnell strike fear to their hearts? You are known after all," he smiled back. I couldn't tell if it was an insult or a complement. He was right though - the name Lord O'Donnell gave worry to those was my prey. It also put me and my crew in a lot of danger, as many shady organizations began to target us.

I was getting a lot more worried. "Yeah, but what about the name Krystal? Falco? Slippy? Your name, Fox. Does it give them the shiver? Maybe you could scare them if you have an Arwing. I don't mind it if I was in the line of danger, but what about the others?" Did I just say that? Now that I think about it, I was always looking out on Leon and Panther. The reason why I got wounded before was because I was worried about Panther.

"Wolf..."

"...Shut up," I fumbled without even thinking. "It's not that I care. It's just that having other people around gives you burden. You have to worry about other people's lives, holding you back. I want to get work done as fast as possible." That was... Was that really me answering?

His voice became stronger. "Well, if I want to get this thing done as soon as possible, I'd get my butt off that chair and go to the bridge!" He walked out to the door, and I heard his heavy, forced steps. What did I say that made him react like that?

I held my locket and thought things for a bit. This locket kept me alive for it inspired me to survive. This wasn't mine after all. It was handed to me by the man I looked up to, who soon perished. The reason why the previous owner of this charm died was because he held back for me. He cared too much about me that he ended up dying. He died in front of me. To be honest, I felt like I didn't deserve this. Maybe I should return this to the person I expected him to give this when he was alive. The problem was that I couldn't confront this person straight out.

I put on my vest and went down to the bridge. It looked like I was the only one not there. Panther seemed eager to fight. Leon, strangely enough, was stiff. He wasn't like that, especially if he knew a battle was about to begin.

"So what... We're gonna stay and keep firing the turrets against these scumbags?" Falco asked Fox. I saw the vulpine stare at me for a bit before looking back at Falco.

"Right," he continued. "Because we lack the ships to face them in a space fight, we'll have to deal with them with the weapons found in this thing." I was expecting him to comment on the rabbit's forgetfulness to supply us with ships, but I guess he cared about the old man much. "And for those who are quite curious, we don't have ships here because this cargo ship cannot contain them." Right, as if I hadn't seen cargo ships loaded with smaller fighters.

"Incoming!"

A blast shook us out of our toes! Everybody suddenly manned the consoles save for Leon, who seemed to be looking at the floor, a bit distraught judging from his eyes - something you couldn't see from him before. Falco stopped and tried to snap him out, but he felt lifeless. Was there something wrong with him?

"Battle stations! Battle stations!"

"Leon?" I tried to touch him with my voice, but it felt like my voice passed through him. "Leon!"

"He was a bit teary-eyed when I saw him here earlier," the bird explained. "Something happened to him... I... Well... Water splashed through his face then all of a sudden he became like that." Water? Leon requested before not to make him touch water, especially the cold ones. A trauma?

"Oh... Uh... Wolf," he jerked for a bit. He stood up and went to an empty console. "I'll... I'll handle this." Something was indeed wrong. Usually he would be confident and energetic when he realized that he would be manning turrets. The bird followed him and observed in a fair distance. Was he...?

"A few bogeys taken down," Panther reported, who was working beside Krystal. "Some had escaped my range. They're heading for the right wing."

"Roger that," Fox responded, who then looked at the empty console beside Slippy. He then looked at me. "Wolf! What the hell are you standing there? Take a station!" Crap, I was getting careless. I wasn't used at being commanded, after all.

I seated in front of the command console controlling the turrets at the right side of the ship. I saw the ships preparing for an attack. "Defensive barriers. Activate them, Slippy."

"Barriers up."

The ship was defended with the barriers. It was time for a counter attack.

"Firing turrets."

They exploded. The tiny dots vanished from the console screen. I was a bit relieved. I didn't know why. Was it because I killed space pirates? Was it because I made it through? Was it because no one was hurt? What was the point of knowing this anyway?

"Everyone," Krystal shouted. "Meteors approaching!"

Suddenly, second thoughts about accepting this mission bothered my head. Did the military screw up again on the destination of this ship that they forget the possibility of meteors crossing this ship's path? I thought the rabbit would fix the defense force. Then again, while he might have tried to make the defense force better, there were still those underlings who were not only incompetent but were also corrupted. It was them who sent him to his end... the person I looked up to and the one who owned the locket...

"Leon, fire the turrets!" Falco shouted.

I looked back at the chameleon. His eyes - they were showing signs of confusion. I had never seen him like that.

"Leon, fire the turrets!"

I stood up.

"Leon!"

I saw his eyes become teary.

"Leon, darn it!"

Falco pressed his hand onto Leon's hand, forcing the console to fire the cannons. The meteors were eradicated, but they were close that we felt the shock. Falco got off-balance and knocked his head onto the desk. He got injured, with blood staining the console. I looked at Leon - he would normally enjoy the sight. Instead, he became more distraught - with his eyes showing signs of being afraid.

"I can't take this anymore!"

He ran off as Slippy, Krystal and Panther carried the bird off to the sick bay. It was quite intense - I was shocked to see Leon not acting by himself. I couldn't even move because I tried to comprehend what happened.

"Wolf."

"Not now," I growled back at Fox.

"You said that you don't want people around you because they are a burden to you. Are you going to abandon Leon because he acted like that? You said you don't want burden to slow you down."

I wanted to punch him after saying that, but he had a point. However, I decided to let Leon be for now. I thought that maybe, this was the "normal" Leon hiding from the cold shell of his.

"I'm... I'm leaving him be. He might need it."

"Well... okay then." Fox gave me a deep, analyzing look before turning his back onto me. "Don't act like that," he told me while he left. "In the end, you might end up alone. No burden to slow you down, but no one around to pick your hand up."

Then why did James die for my sake?


	5. Burden

**Precious**

**Chapter 5 - Burden**

The bird would be fine. He just took a knock at the head, but it wasn't something fatal. Besides, he was Falco Lombardi - something like a minor head injury shouldn't kill him.

"What about Leon?" Krystal asked me. How nice of her to worry about him. "Will he be fine?"

Wolf suddenly entered the room. "I let him be alone for a while. It might make him return back to himself. He was really acting weird earlier." His voice became ferocious. "It was that bird's fault! He did something to Leon that made him freak out!"

"Hey," the frog responded, "I don't think he means it. I mean, sure he was just playing with the water, but he didn't know it could turn Leon into something like that! If he did know about it, he wouldn't be teasing the chameleon with the water!" Ugh... Even I couldn't stand water unless I bathe. However, I wondered what fear the water brought to Leon.

I heard a faint voice.

"No... He's right..."

The bird stood up and from the bed and rubbed his patched wound. "It's still my fault. I should've kept my beak shut and did the dishes."

"I'll look for him," I told them. I might be able to talk to Leon and bring him back to his senses. I might not look like it, but I didn't like the idea of our team falling apart.

"No... I will."

The bird stood up from the bed and rubbed his patch before exiting. Why would he be concerned on someone who was not part of their circle? It didn't matter though - I found that attitude quite admiring. I heard Wolf giving a grunt before exiting as well.

The vulpine entered the room. "How's Falco, wait... Where is Falco?" Hadn't he notice the bird?

"He just left, Fox. He was going to look for Leon," the frog told him. "We might as well be doing stuff. How about we fix the particle engines? The shields took some blasting, and we want to run them at 100 percent efficiency just in case another round of space pirates attacks us."

"Yeah, let's go," he replied, and then he added, "and Wolf, you're coming with us."

"Me?"

"Yeah. Those things are heavy after all, and you're the tank here." Tank? Ah, yes, Wolf had been doing something to keep himself fit and strong. Our lives were almost always in the line, so a strong body was a must.

"Fine," he muttered.

"And you Krystal?" I asked the vixen. "You should go with Fox. I... I don't want to give them a wrong idea between the two of us."

"No, I'd rather stay with you," she giggled. I loved it when she laughs. "I'll let them do the hard work. Besides, I told you that we could still be friends. It's the least I could do to make up for... using you." Yeah, I recalled. It was when she left Star Wolf when she figured out that she really did like the fox; that she was only trying to make him feel bad when she joined our team. To be honest, I was heartbroken, but if it would make her happy, then I would be happy too. "Panther?"

"I'm fine," I assured her, hiding my ache. "Anyway, you don't have to say that. You were not using me." Actually, I did feel that she used me, but I let it subside. "So... why do you wish to be with me?" I stood up and exited the room, glancing back a bit to her. She followed, of course.

"Could you... could you tell me about this Hunter? I want to hear the story," she asked. "You don't have to tell it to me though, if it makes you think about sad thoughts." I had gotten over the sad memories, so I would be fine. It was nice of her to ask though. I was heading to the kitchen for some coffee, so I might as well tell her along the way.

"Heh, anything for you," I purred. I should really stop doing that - it just made me look like a person who couldn't accept her decision. "Well, there was this panther hunter who was so strong. He was raised from a poor village who was being harassed by the kingdom that owned their land. The village themselves believed in gods, praying they would free them from the tyranny, but they were unanswered. This panther hunter brought the people together and took over the kingdom that was oppressing them. He then challenged the gods for ignoring their prayers. He fought them all until he faced the warrior goddess, in which he fell in love with. The goddess thought that it was a trick, so she slew him by fooling him that he was loved by her, killing him when he tried to court her. Before dying, he told him that he really loved her. She made him into a constellation to honor his unrequited love."

The story ended as soon as I was brewing coffee. Krystal blushed for a bit before commenting. "That was... quite epic. Although, don't you think it is bit too violent for a children's bedtime story?" Hah, she was right. It was indeed a bit violent by the end. I recalled asking my mother to skip those parts when I was very young. "If I heard that when I was young, I'd probably have recurring nightmares of people dying left and right!" Hmm... I sensed some sort of... emotion.

"Yes, I agree," I laughed. "It was still nice, nonetheless. I took the story by heart. I followed its morals - not to give up when you are passionate about something!" I suddenly remembered my actions during my first time seeing her. My ears lowered a bit. "S-sorry about that... and sorry about trying to become like an annoying pest back then." Too much passion... It might sound like obsession. I... Maybe that wasn't really love, but obsession.

"It's okay," she grinned at me. "To be honest... I still feel bad about using you. I..."

"You were not using me."

"Panther... I... I was harsh. Even though we were together, I treated you coldly." Yes, she was a bit cold in her responses back when she was with us, but I didn't mind. I thought she was developing a new attitude. "I lied about my feelings. I was... selfish. I couldn't bear the idea of doing those horrible things to you."

"But I don't mind them," I reassured her. I felt that I lied though. My heart still ached every time I was reminded of what she did to me, but I was able to get over them.

She left the kitchen. I felt her depression.

"Sorry, Panther. I could feel the disappointment and anger inside of you. The more you hide them, the more I feel ashamed of myself."

Again, I was left alone. I just continued to drink the coffee. It was for the better. The fox might get the wrong impression if we were together, enjoying things like this. I was a man of my word, and I told them that I would let her go if she would be happy. I wouldn't want to ruin that.

I decided to leave the kitchen and look at the parts of the ship that I haven't explored yet. The thoughts of the moral of the story began to wander in my head. The hunter himself took all the burden of the village, knowing that he'd rather face the suffering than the villagers because he knew he would be more capable of struggling against the ruling kingdom. Was I doing the same thing? Was I trying to make sure that Krystal wouldn't be carrying the burden of her actions? I didn't see anything wrong with it. Why would she feel ashamed?

I stumbled into the engine room. The frog was very sooty, the fox was screwing some things, and Wolf was showing the power of his torso, lifting those large batteries with ease.

"Need my help?"


	6. Cope

**Precious**

**Chapter 6 - Cope**

The silence made me more depressed. The empty lounge felt so spacious. Despite the lack of sound around me, the echoes of people screaming and crying kept on ringing in my ears. The large glass in front of me that showed the vast space only made me recall the people drowning from my actions. The more they invaded my mind, the more I felt miserable. I was hoping that facing these memories would soon end them, but I was wrong. I realized that I needed someone to help me get over this.

"Leon!" I heard my name. I looked around - it was that annoying bird. He was holding with him something that irritated me a lot - a hand gadget that read thermal signatures. Not even my camouflage could escape it. "Leon, what are you doing there?"

"Leave me alone!" I did not like his company. I needed someone, but not him.

"You need help. Something's not right," he suddenly blurted out, as if he knew what was happening. I ignored him. I would rather cry through the whole trip than to share to him what I had been experiencing.

"I said leave me alone!"

"I won't leave until you straighten yourself up!" The hell? What was he up to? He sat at the other end of the sofa, looking at me. I was not sure if he was laughing at my state, but knowing the bird, he probably was. "What ever happened to the Great Leon?"

"Shut up! You don't know what's happening and it's none of your business!"

I really wanted to leave. I could simply walk away. However, his persistence, for some odd reason, made me stay.

"Look," he told me, with his tone going softer, "I... I am sorry about what happened earlier, okay? If I only knew water would give you such trauma, I wouldn't shower you with the tap water. Yeah, I know... this is weird coming from your sworn enemy..." Indeed, it was weird. Me too... I wasn't feeling enraged. In fact, I felt a bit lighter when he said that. It had been a while since I last felt this, probably years ago. "You know, when you suddenly fell down to the floor, I was scared. Your face showed signs of fear and sadness. I thought something was happening to you, so I stopped the water."

"It's... nothing." What was this feeling? Why did I suddenly have the urge to tell him my past?

"I'm not gonna force you into telling me about your phobia," he said to me with a calm tone, "but I suggest getting it off your chest. Why not talk to Wolf or Panther about it?"

My camouflage just went off on its own. Maybe... I was feeling safe. Maybe it was safe to tell. "They... they don't know about this... I just told them no... water stuff..." I closed my eyes again. Those memories flashed into me again.

"But why? You need to get that off your system."

"Promise me."

"Huh?"

"Promise me that you won't tell this to anyone."

I looked at the bird's... Falco's eyes. They were filled with confusion.

"Promise me that you won't tell this secret to anyone, that is, until I am ready."

He made nod. His eyes told me that I could trust him. "If it will make you feel better, then yeah, sure, tell it to me." I felt confidence from his voice. Yes... emotions. They never penetrated my shell before. With my cold psyche downed for a moment, I should probably savor this as much as possible.

"It... it all started when I was just twelve. I was a hyperactive chameleon boy living with a simple peasant family in a small village in Aquas. Our village was very traditional, quite uncivilized if you compare it to Corneria. We relied on trade for food and supply, while our water was coming from a dam. It was really a simple life until Venom forces took control of the area. They set up some sort of trade control, and took some of the able youths into some sort of reconditioning camps to be turned into faithful soldiers."

"Let me guess... Venom forces killed your family? Your village was burned down because of them?"

It was a bit hard to say. "No..." I took a deep breath. "I... I killed... not only my family... but the whole village..." The idea struck my heart as if a sniper sniped me at my chest. I began to cry. I had never cried for a long time. My assassin psyche shut me off of emotions. But now...

"Leon... but how?"

I gathered all my courage to recall the memories and tell it to him. "There was water shortage. I sneaked out of our house, hiding from the soldiers who took control of the area. I realized that it was raining hard. I realized how much the people were missing. They could have gathered water from the rain, if the villagers were not threatened or intimidated by the patrolling soldiers. I decided to bring some empty canisters to gather water at the dam, as rainwater would take forever to fill them up. I sneaked and collected the water, but I was then discovered. Some soldiers hurled explosives at my position, destroying the wall that prevented the water from flooding the village. I was able to escape, but not before witnessing the villagers cry out as they were washed away by the strong flood. The rain only made the disaster more horrific than ever." I cried more. I wanted to force it out of my body.

"Leon..."

His arm... it was on my back. I felt some sort of gentle tap.

"...When I was seen by the soldiers, I thought I was going to die. They didn't shoot me though. They thought that I was a survivor. They said that they would make me forget the horrible experience. They were right... I was reconditioned... I was taught on the way of an assassin - an emotionless, heartless soldier, whose memories were purged."

"But now... why... why did it all come back?"

"I... I don't know," I responded in a soft tone, although I felt a bit lighter than earlier. "Maybe... maybe... maybe my old self was trying to penetrate my cold shell..." Now that I thought about it, it was probably the hyperactive me that wanted my Wolfen model be named as Rainbow Delta. "Maybe... the fear of the cold memories returning made a hole at the barrier I gave to my old self."

"I'm not really sure what to say, Leon," the b-Falco said to me, this time, with a smile, "you're the first person I met with such a well... weird personality. You're not such a bad twisted person after all."

"Y-you are... you are not such a bad person yourself." Those words came out of my mouth naturally. Normally I would make an insult, but... yeah.

He relaxed himself at the sofa, and began to chuckle. "You know, I actually started to rethink my presumptions about you when we were at the kitchen earlier. When you were interested at my family's recipe, you weren't quite the psychotic fellow I knew. You were interested, delighted... You were observing the way how I made the sandwiches quite diligently. I guess I should have taken those as cues as a mark of a good chef."

"And you're not a dumb bird after all, Falco," I smiled back. I was... smiling... to another person. I even called him by his name, "being able to make a sandwich like that. Even if it was an heirloom recipe, I still think it takes skill to make them."

We both laughed. Laughing together? It felt... great. I had never felt such great experience. It was different from the delight of seeing blood or hearing screams. I had never felt this lightness.

"Well, I'm bushed," he stretched his arms out. "Too lazy to go to the cabin though. Night!" He yawned and fell down onto the side of the couch. I looked at him a bit before looking at the glass. I stared at the space. It was not making a stir. No more echoes. No more screaming. It was all peaceful.

"Thanks..."

I felt sleepy as well. I took another moment to glance at him. For some odd reason, I felt safe with him. It was a strange connection. It wasn't long before I realized that I slept on his side.


	7. Coziness

**Precious**

**Chapter 7 - Coziness**

The good thing was that Panther volunteered to help. I was really getting messy and sweaty after all that heavy lifting. The cargo engines weren't really that tough - our ships could destroy the vessel. We were lucky the space pirates were using crappier ships.

"Yeah, you look like one dirty rug," Fox called behind me. I heard giggle, something I rarely hear from him. "Go take a shower. We're gonna go to the bunk after this anyway."

"You do not give orders to me!" I growled back. He wasn't elected as a leader, as far as I knew. "But... yeah, I agree. I need to shower." The odor was really getting annoying - the smell was a mix of perspiration, burnt-out machines, and some traditional machine oil. My fur was even stained, and I knew how difficult it was to remove once it dried on my fur.

I headed back to the lounge. I left my pack there. When I entered the door, I was quite surprised - I saw Leon and Falco sleeping... together! Okay, that was weird. Leon's head was rested on Falco's leg, and... he was smiling! It would make sense if he was dreaming of something he usually likes like ripping the bird into pieces, but... he seemed to be showing some different kind of interest to the bird.

"Okay then..."

While I really wanted to whack them with my pack, I might as well let them rest. I would ask Leon, and probably even Falco, about this. It still disturbed me - the thought of liking an enemy so closely. What did the bird do to calm down the traumatized chameleon? I really wanted to know how they ended up becoming mutually close - that is, if that was the sort of connection the two had formed.

I placed my dirty clothing at a basket and hung the towel outside the shower cubicle. I slid the door and opened the shower - hot water. As the warm drizzle sprayed onto my body, I reflected a bit on what had happened so far. The hare hired us to guard this ship containing important goods while being forced to team up with Star Fox. Leon showed his skills but ended up into some trauma, and later he was hugging the bird's leg. Hmm... Panther... what about you? What were you doing?

I lathered myself with soap and fur shampoo. The shampoo made my fur cleaner and softer. I might be rough but I knew what good hygiene meant. It made me felt comfortable. Something still bothered me though.

"In the end, you might end up alone. No burden to slow you down, but no one around to pick your hand up."

Fox told me that. It rang again in my ears. It was not like I did not want company. The problem was that, they could get in your way. Sometimes, when something got in the way, worse things could happen. It could cost your life.

My mentor did. He was an amazing pilot. He would never teach people though. It was not until my father asked him to teach me. They were best friends, after all. They worked together, despite my father not being a part of the renowned Star Fox team. However, he got tricked by someone in the Star Fox team - the swine. My father went on a venture to save him, and secretly went with him, hiding in a compartment. He was saved, but in a critical condition - he escaped Andross's reconditioning treatment and the guards nearly caught up with him. My father tried his best to escape, but the g-difusors of the ship were destroyed. The console burst, injuring my left eye. At the last moment, my father forced me and my mentor to an escape pod.

The water washed off the soap and bubbles off of my fur. Despite the warm water, however, I felt cold upon recalling my father's eyes - the last time I would see them.

The escape pod didn't work - it was pulled down. James gave me his locket before giving me time to flee. He was shot repeatedly, with his blood splashing down the dirty rocky ground. The soldiers were about to shoot me when the pig decided to "keep" me... ugh... I should have killed myself.

I shut the showers off and, for a moment, I felt fear. The traumatizing method of reconditioning that Andross gave to me was horrific. It scarred my life forever, that the more I recalled it, the more I weakened from the chills it gave to me. I was forced to see people suffer, forced to feel pain itself, forced to endure much difficulty.

I purged my memories - I became a ruthless soldier. The name of James had been tainted with the urge of anger and rage every time I see Fox McCloud. After all, I became more of a person who would sell his soul for a sum of money. Not netting the fox's tail meant no money. It had become a personal goal for me to kill him, even after the war.

I finished drying myself and clothing with sleeping clothes. I exited and headed to the cabin where I met Slippy, Panther and Fox.

"Looks like you washed too, eh, Wolf?" the cat laughed. It seemed there was another shower room at the other hallway. "Well, it seems like we'll share one room - four beds after all. Krystal's a woman so we shouldn't really be sleeping with her. As for the other two..."

"Yeah, kinda shocking," the toad added. "I mean, I really wouldn't mind it, but it was Falco AND Leon! Sworn enemies!" For a second, the idea of me and Fox in that situation recurred in my head. Quite... disturbing...

"Yeah, well, we could bother them tomorrow about that," Fox yawned. Heh, sleepy-head. "Right now I'm sleepy, Slippy." He pushed the button at the doorframe, revealing two double-deck beds. "Oh look, double-deckers! It's been a while before I slept on one of them..." Now that I think about it, recent personal mothership furnishings rarely have double-decks in their bunks. What surprised me however was his sudden reaction. "I TAKE TOP BED!"

"Ah, yes, I'd like to as well," Panther grinned, climbing nimbly on the ladder.

"I never really liked the top," Slippy commented. "And I heard Fox snores loudly when asleep... So... Sorry Wolf!" What? I realized he took the spot beneath Panther. Snoring eh? Well at least it was something I never did.

I rested myself on the mattress and held the locket James gave to me. It was this that allowed me to recover the little humanity that I had. When I thought I was lost in the dark, his memories saved me. It allowed me to see the world in what was left of the old me. I decided to remove Pigma from my sight and hired Panther. While the anger of Fox still boiled within me, it was not as intense as before. In fact, while I still hated him, there was a part of me that recognized him more as a skilled pilot. Maybe he was becoming more like James?

"Fox?"

"Huh? What is it?"

I might need this thing a little longer. I wanted to give it to him, but something told me that now would be too early.

"...It's nothing."

"I see," he replied. "Say Wolf... Remember the advice that you told me before?"

"Yeah?" _Don't hesitate. When the time comes, just act._ It was really from my father who took the philosophy of James. It originated from "Never give up. Trust your instincts." He simply changed it into something that fitted his lifestyle.

"You know, that sounds similar to my father's advice."

"Really?" Just as I thought.

"Yeah. Never give up. Trust your instincts."

"Sounds like it," I coughed.

"Not hesitating when you know the right time comes... it's like trusting your own instincts..."

It was, I think, the reason why I came saving Fox's life from the Aparoids. I felt that he might need help.

"Yeah," I responded.

"It felt like... You were my father back when you saved me... Heheheh, funny," he laughed.

For some odd reason, I also laughed. It was not because it sounded funny. I felt... light... when he told me that. What the hell, I was only one year older than Fox!

"Well, I'll let you dwell on your thoughts," I chuckled. "Let's just sleep."

"Night, Wolf."

"Goodnight."

That moment I felt James and my father smiling on both of us.


	8. Confusion

**Precious**

**Chapter 8 - Confusion**

I woke up quite early, feeling comfortable and cozy. It had been a while since I last fully slept, and boy, did I really enjoy it! I looked at everyone, seeing Fox and Wolf tightly bundled in their blankets, as well as the frog beneath me. I decided not to wake them up, if only to avoid being hurled with pillows. I did however felt the need to grab a glass of milk - a usual habit I practiced even back at the base. It helped kept my feline senses up for the day.

As soon as I exited the room, I glanced at the two other cabins. The room before ours was unlocked and opened. It seemed Leon and the bird didn't go to the room and remained asleep at the couch. The other room, the one after ours, was closed. Maybe Krystal was still asleep like the rest.

I went to the kitchen for some good milk. I opened a fridge, grabbed an unopened carton and took an empty glass. "Hmm... nope, not yet expired," I thought after glancing the expiry date and comparing it to the date on my pocket computer. "Well, now you will go into my stomach and make me healthy!" It wasn't until I finished the whole glass when I saw Leon, looking at me blankly, eating some biscuits. "Oh, Leon, I didn't notice you. Morning."

"Yeah... morning, Panther!" he cheerily responded, waving a bitten biscuit before eating it. "Slept well?"

"Yup I... hey!" Wait a moment. Leon, greeting me? Waving a biscuit? Looking happy? Unless there was some sort of bloody mayhem somewhere, I wouldn't think Leon would be that happy. "Something the matter, Leon? You don't normally talk like that!" I recalled me, the frog and Fox seeing him asleep with the bird, holding the leg of the bird quite tightly while murmuring some undecipherable words. "Did you just kill the bird?"

"Why would I do that?" he snickered. Normally regular, cheery laughter wouldn't scare me, but note - this was Leon who was snickering. "He helped me get over something, and now, after waking up from a sleep I have never had for a long time, I felt gratified over what he did!" He closed his eyes and made a very big smile. Okay...

I simply nodded. "I see... So you two are buddies now, eh?" I wondered. "What will Wolf think of this? He doesn't want any of his teammates becoming closer to his rival's teammates." Before I could continue, I already knew what he would say. "Shush... Yeah, yeah, I know."

"There's nothing wrong with that!" he suddenly shouted, poking the air with his biscuit. "Besides, he seems to be quite a nice guy. I felt him hugging me a bit during the hours where my slumber felt light." Wait... what? "Huh? Something the matter?"

"Are you sure it's just a feeling of comradeship?" I began to ask him. While I knew it was all right for people to become closer the more they became allies, this one sounded a bit off. "I mean, you just recently went close to each other, nothing else!"

"Well..." Leon was acting rather... weird. "Well... It's been a while since I felt this 'buddy-buddy' feeling you keep on saying," he added, "and... to be honest, I never felt this buddy-buddy feeling quite much after talking to Falco. It felt like... something."

I just had a hunch.

"What? Something wrong?" he argued again, this time after dunking his snacks on a mug of coffee. "After getting to know him better, it felt like I was safe around him! And then, for some odd reason, I suddenly could express myself around him!" The lizard was actually turning red. I was not sure if it was his camouflage ability going hay-wire with his emotions or something went wrong with him. "He's just a friend!"

I was not an expert on love, but I could really tell that Leon somehow became infatuated to Falco. "Are you... having a crush on him?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Huh?" he suddenly began to sweat. "Wait... what?!"

Before he could say something, the bird entered the room, his shirt hanging from his shoulder. "Hey, guys. Morning."

"Morning... Falco!" Leon waved his hand.

"Same," I responded. Maybe I should try to get along with him for a change. Maybe I could find out more on what was going on within him and the lizard. "Milk, Falco?"

"Ah, I was looking for that!" He grabbed the carton and poured it into his bowl of cereal. "Yeah, the couch was cozy all right. So umm... how're you doing, Leon?"

"Heh, fine!" the chameleon responded with... glee! His face was showing pure happiness. "Thanks for the company. It really made me feel better now."

"Well, that's good!" the bird laughed. Somehow I could say that he didn't know Leon was having a deeper interest on him. "I don't want my enemy to be out of his head when we fight, now do we?" He made a chuckle, but I saw the chameleon smiling as if he had some plans.

"You know what, I don't want to become your enemy anymore!" Leon responded, holding the bird's hand with his. I was surprised that Falco didn't pull his hand off. "Maybe rivals, sure, but enemies? After what you did to me?" The bird smiled for a bit, but I knew he was confused. "Heck, Panther and Krystal are seen as 'enemies' but they rarely fight in a dog-fight!"

"Well... okay then," he replied. "That was quite a sharp character twist though."

"All thanks to you, heheheh!" Leon's laugh didn't sound creepy anymore... Well, that's good, but really, I wanted to tell them what the chameleon was feeling, if my hunch was correct of course.

I coughed for a bit to get their attention. "Umm... I don't want to be really blunt on you guys," I began, although I felt like I did a very bad start, "but... your friendship to each other is really... well..."

"What? It's not like you and Krystal are doing it!" Falco said.

"No... no... it's not that," I corrected him. However, I was aware of Leon's newfound feelings so I might as well soften the blow just in case. "Err... Leon, should I...?"

"I don't see anything wrong with it."

"Well, Leon," I took a moment to breathe, "what you felt on him wasn't actually friendship... You were actually... hmm... how should say it... You have a crush on him." Before I made the two make sudden reactions, I noted, "Look, I know you had been devoid of emotions since I met you, and it was only recently had you become open to your emotions. I could be wrong with what I am thinking, but from what you said earlier, you seem to be really REALLY liking him."

"Well, I don't... I don't see anything wrong with that!" the chameleon angrily argued back at me. "I mean... there's nothing wrong... right?"

"Well," Falco sighed for a bit before tapping the chameleon's back, "Leon... listen... you were... you really became a different person since last night. You could really be a nice friend... but I don't want you to expect something more intimate than that." He stood up after drinking a glass of water. "Besides... I already have a girl you know." He left the room without saying another word.

"Sorry about that," I saw Leon feeling a bit disappointed. "Hey, at least he said you could still be friends."

"Yeah... but... for some odd reason... it felt like a blow to me."

"You'll get over it."

For some odd reason, the scene earlier made me recall my experience with Krystal.


	9. Someone to Hold

**Precious**

**Chapter 9 - Someone to Hold**

I was a bit embarrassed after he left. Something inside me was broken, as if someone shot me repeatedly with a high-frequency blaster. Panther just gave a weird look.

"So, are you a-"

"No, I am not!" I yelled out. Seriously, just because I admired someone wouldn't make me a gay!

"Then why the blush?" What? What made him think that would blush? He pointed me a nearby mirror at the basin. I saw my natural camouflage giving me the pale red color. The heck? "Leon, you're new to this assortment of feelings. I can tell."

"But I know what they mean!" I shouted back. Seriously! I couldn't stand him anymore. Maybe walking around this boring ship would make me feel better anyway.

Before I left, I heard him say something. "You may know what they mean, but you don't know how they feel." What did he mean by that? Gah, he only made me more confused and annoyed! I was full anyway, so I might as well pull myself off of that room.

"Grawr!"

What the heck?! "Wolf! What was that for?" Damn it, why did this day have to start like this? I thought I would be having a pleasant time today.

"Heh, I'm just testing my growl and howl. I'm a wolf, after all," he excused himself with a smug look. I wanted to punch him but I knew he was too fast for me. "So... looks like you and the bird are getting along eh? What the catch?"

"What catch?" I asked him. "Huh? No strings! I just wanted to have a friend, that's all!"

"Really? That's not like you, Leon," he muttered with an analyzing look on his left eye. It sometimes bothered me. "Anything happened between you and the bird?" He then began to chuckle.

That was the final straw. I couldn't take it anymore. "Shut the hell up!" I yelled, pushing off and walking out to the other end of the hall. "What do you know about friendship, Wolf? I don't think you could even comprehend such a simple emotion! I am glad I could though, because at least I know that I am not lonely!" I didn't glance back at him, but I knew my words were quite... sharp. Normally he would respond with a punch or an equally sharp statement, but I didn't hear anything. I looked back and saw him looking down on the floor, with a blank expression. "Well, don't give me that look, because I know it's true! You're a loner, and the only reasons you need a team is to counter Star Fox and to have men doing your bids! Other than that, I don't think you actually cared about me or even that black cat!" I wanted to deepen the hurt on him, but I realized that I said too much. I just left him there. Maybe he could heal his own wound.

I wondered into some strange storage room filled with data books, movies, and some music. I guess the higher-ups thought we'd get bored in a five-day journey. I browsed through the collection - neatly alphabetized. Hmm... The music weren't bad. Too bad they were filled with classics. The books were boring save for The Great Reptilian Marauder series, but I had already read the whole lot. Hmm...

"Hey Leon, what's up!" A high-pitched voice surprised me. It was the frog, Slippy. "Sorry to bother you. Looks like you found their multimedia archives!"

"You know about this place?"

"Nah, I just saw it yesterday," he responded as he grabbed what seemed to be a decade-old movie. "Heh, I've been looking for a copy of this. Ever seen Coonono Jones and the Staff of Titania? It was quite an interesting movie, despite its speciesist jokes and characters." He sure had an interesting taste for movies. "Ah, Amanda would love this! Baron of the Mosquitoes! What a classic!" Hmm... Yes, I knew this frog was married. Maybe he might help me out with my dilemma.

I cleared my throat, putting down the copy of Cosmo's Angels, the classic and not the silly remake involving cleavage, on a table before talking. "Say um... Slippy. You're married. So um... maybe you can help me."

"Help you around what?" It looked like he didn't get what I mean. "Find you a girl? Sorry Leon, I don't know any chameleons in Aquas."

"Well, no... that's not it," I corrected him. "You see... well... I guess you already know about me and Falco sleeping on the couch, right?" Who hasn't?

"Yeah... but I don't see anything wrong with it." Well, finally, someone who wasn't obnoxious like Panther. "To be honest, the only thing that bothered me was the fact that two people who fought each other were now hugging felt a bit creepy, but I thought you guys got over it. Why, something wrong?"

Now how do I begin? "It's just... Um... Falco is... I just realized that Falco's a nice guy! Last night was one of the best moments that I had. I never felt such... protection... when he was around. He made me feel emotion. It was something special... I couldn't explain it... It was hard to tell." The frog became silent for a bit. Yeah, it was confusing after all. "Doesn't make sense, right? I really couldn't figure out if I... uh... him..."

"So basically you're asking if you like Falco as a friend or as a lover... right?" I nodded. "Well, truth be told... I couldn't really figure out what sort of feelings you have for him. It could be platonic, but then some romantic love budded from friendship... Heheheh, look at me, trying to act like some love expert!"

Actually, he pretty much got it on spot. Now I understood what Panther meant. I might know what words meant but the way how I got confused about friendship or love... this assortment of emotions... I couldn't understand how they feel. "Yeah... weird... Heh, you'd never expect a cold person like me to be feeling this."

"I think everybody has emotions, it's just that some don't want to feel them!" he chuckled. Yeah, the reconditioning prevented me from feeling them. "It's something that makes us feel... alive." Even Wolf, eh?

"Heh, maybe so."

"Anyway, I suggest talking to Falco about this!" I didn't think that would be a good idea. Falco might not like it. "I better go. I'll ask Pep... I mean the General if I could borrow these!" He took the two movie discs. "Oh, by the way, I saw Wolf earlier at the kitchen. He seems down. Maybe you should go and cheer him up." He left quickly. Wolf... nah, I'll let him dwindle in his depression. It'd be helpful for him, to be honest.

Before leaving, I saw an interesting video. The Crime Lord was quite a popular classic movie, but it was so rare to find a good copy. Granted, I was not into movies years ago, but I heard good stuff about it. I took it and then made my way out.

I wasn't really able to explore the ship until now. I chanced upon the Simulation Room. I guess it was for the people in this ship to have some recreation. Upon entering, I saw the whole holographic room producing an environment similar to the sky. Falco was at the center, riding something that seemed to be an interior of a car. The holograms changed it into something like a fighter.

"Falco."

"Hey there, Leon," he greeted me. I was starting to get used to being greeted without expecting any verbal insult. "I just found out about this room! It's quite cool! Wanna ride?" Heh, why wouldn't I? I considered this a nice opportunity.

"Sure." I jumped onto the seat beside him, looking at his excited face before the seats began to simulate the scenario. "Say... Falco... about earlier, sorry if it sounded so awkward."

"Nah, it's okay," he responded quite... coolly. "I just know you're new to these things."

"It still confuses me though... But maybe because I fear the idea of being called homosexual... even though I really like your company," I spoke back. I was quite sure my whole scales were turning red. "Ugh, that was some stupid remark, eh?"

"I can't really help you about your... preference," he spoke back with an endearing smile. I always wanted to see him like that. "Although... I'm not really picky about pals." That moment, where he admitted that he acknowledged me - it felt like the best thing that had ever happened to me. I was a bit silent and happy. I wasn't sure if my scales were turning redder! "So... wanna take the stick?"

I had a better idea. "Wanna watch The Crime Lord?"

"You mean the original pimp Cornerian gangster movie?"

"Yep."

It wasn't long until the whole environment became an open movie park, with the thing that we were sitting on turning into a jeep. Once the movie began playing, he placed his right arm on my back and then onto my shoulder.


	10. A Friend

**Precious**

**Chapter 10 - A Friend**

_What do you know about friendship, Wolf? I don't think you could even comprehend such a simple emotion! I am glad I could though, because at least I know that I am not lonely! Well, don't give me that look, because I know it's true! You're a loner, and the only reasons you need a team is to counter Star Fox and to have men doing your bids! Other than that, I don't think you actually cared about me or even that black cat!_

Those words stroke me quite fiercely. Then again, part of what he said was true. I really needed a team only because I needed a counter to Fox's team. Yet there was a part of me that wanted to show them that I was a capable leader as well. Was I that shallow and stone-hearted? After those statements hit me, I recalled what Fox told me before.

_In the end, you might end up alone. No burden to slow you down, but no one around to pick your hand up._

I felt depressed. It wasn't like I never cared about other people. It was just that I didn't show it to them. Maybe because I was afraid that people might look at me as a weak person who had strong emotions. It was never a cold person though, not especially to my teammates.

I looked at the coffee mug filled with coffee in front of me. I sighed at my reflection - it did show a very cold-hearted person who never actually cared for anyone. "Am I... really that a loner not to care about others, even my teammates?" I asked myself.

"You're not drinking your caffeine," a voice asked me. It was Krystal. "Something wrong?" I was a bit startled. It took me a while to recall that the two foxes were eating with me, that Leon left to find Falco, and Panther helped Slippy in the engine room. I really didn't want to talk especially with Fox around, but she would know that something was wrong if I didn't say a word.

"No... I'm... I'm fine," I spoke back. My voice was showing it though. The two were about to say something in the lines of 'are you sure?', so I might as well give it up. "Well... yeah, something's wrong." It was obvious that they wanted to hear about it. "No. It's none of your business."

"Hey, we're working in a mission here," Fox suddenly spoke out in front of me. "We have to minimize conflict as much as possible to make this mission a success!" He slammed his palm at the table. Wow, I had never seen him aggravated like this. I simply ignored him and turned my back on him. "Wolf, I thought we talked about this last night. I thought you've changed!"

"The heck are you talking about?!" I shouted back, giving him an obscene gesture with my hand. Not only was it unpleasant to be yelled in front of your face, but I also didn't want others to know about my sentimental side. "If you were talking about those things I said before, then you're quite wrong! Just because I said those mushy things doesn't change the fact that I am Lord O'Donnell, sworn enemy of Star Fox!" Why did I suddenly become so compulsive in my words every time I faced him? For some odd reason, I always became angry and irrational when confronting him. "Got that, Fox?"

"Wolf!" she argued back. "You're not like that at all when I was part of your group!" Yeah... I wasn't... acting myself recently. Every time I faced Fox in front of me, eye-to-eye, I couldn't gather my thoughts well. But why?

"Damn it, Wolf! Damn it!" he shouted again. "When will you learn how to get along with others? Don't reason me with your loner personality!" I wanted to punch him to the face, but... I couldn't figure why. Maybe, maybe because I felt like someone was trying to dominate over me. That was probably the reason. Well, I decided not to stay anymore.

"Shut up!" I yelled back. "Had I known your team would be the one who's gonna accompany us in this mission, I wouldn't be accepting it! Now Leon's gay for your bird and Panther's being a pansy again! They wanted to be part of Star Fox now after the crap that has happened in this ship! I don't care if you take them or not!" I stormed out. I was really feeling... emotional. Mixed feelings of sadness, fear of being alone, and anger were conflicting within me, but the feeling of loneliness took me over in an instant when I kept on recalling the last sentence I shouted. "I don't care if Star Wolf is just me... I don't care! After all, I am the loner, Wolf O'Donnell!" The idea of being alone in the universe gave me some sort of ache in the heart. I felt a tear dropping from my eye.

I just walked at the hallways, trying to forget the event. I was used on simply walking or sleeping through the rest of the day to forget my problems. This one took a while.

"_Ah but you ain't got no money. I think you know what that means, La Russo..._"

It sounded like... The Crime Lord? It came from a door with a sign labeled Simulation Room. I pushed a button at the console to open the door, and wow, I was surprised. The whole room was filled with holograms of a typical Cornerian car park with a large movie screen at the end. I saw Falco and Leon seated in a lone holographic jeep, eating popcorn from one large tub. They were watching the movie The Crime Lord, a classic film. And... I just saw Leon resting his arm on the bird's shoulder.

I closed the door before they could notice me. I felt... envious. Somehow, the fact that Leon was enjoying company made me feel sad. While to me it was awkward, at least he had someone to hang on with. I on the other hand...

"Wolf," Fox's voice suddenly echoed behind me, "sorry about earlier if I suddenly shouted at your face. I know it was rude but... when you considered the stuff that you told me last night as some trash, I became really furious." I turned around. He looked sincere. "Sorry... I was expecting you as some person who could follow orders... but I was wrong from the start." Alone with him again - for some odd reason, I could express my feelings better when we were the only people talking.

"No, that's not it," I told him calmly, turning myself around to the glass, looking at the starry space. "I feel... conflicted. I couldn't understand myself. I wanted to be alone because it hurts if you have a company then suddenly they leave you, but it also hurts if you try make yourself stable by isolating yourself." Wow, did I just say that? They flowed out of my mouth quite easily.

"Huh?" He went to my side.

I guess it was all right to hint him about why I was acting like this. "My... father died," I told him, trying to hold my breath to prevent sudden bursts of tears, "because he acted like a hero in front of me. My mentor... my close friend, he died... and the worse part of it, is that he died because he was trying to save me." I held the necklace tight. I couldn't tell him that it was James. "I realized then that when I tried to carry other people's burden, I could get end up having their pain. I was... afraid to feel pain. I then tried to be a loner - to care only for myself and only care for others if necessary. That way, when they perish, I wouldn't be feeling any loss because I wouldn't be attached to them." I wanted to pour out after saying that. Reflecting the images of my father and James dying in front of me was the last thing I wanted to do.

"But then...?"

"But, the more I try to push myself away from people, the more I also feel loneliness like some black hole eating me," I continued, holding back the tears. "I realized it before, when Panther was willing to follow Krystal to the ends of the universe. I thought that no one would do that for me. Right now I just saw Leon and Falco together. I became envious because at least he has someone to hold onto, while I... I probably see Leon and Panther as pawns. The fact that they share a closer bond to other people while I only share a shallow, fragile connection to them made me jealous and angry." I could feel a tear escaping my eyes. "The fact that they could leave me and join Star Fox because I never cared for them as teammates scared me." That was it. I couldn't hold it anymore. The more I thought about it, the more painful it was. I was crying... the idea of being alone bothered me.

"But you don't... right?"

"I... I don't know really," I spoke back. "It is my fault. I warped myself into something that dislikes both the idea of carrying other people's burden and isolation that I could tell how I treat other people."

"Well, let me ask you something..." I looked at his deep green eyes. "Why... why did you save me back then from the Aparoids? Was it because you wanted to be the one to kill me? Was it something else?"

I recalled the event. I wasn't aware why I did that. The mere fact that I gave him an advice meant that there was something more to that. "I wanted to be the one to best you. But... without you in the picture, who would rival... me... Alone... again..." It was only until I realized that I never actually killed him. It was then that I recalled, after recovering myself from the reconditioning, that the idea of having no one to match my skill would only cause me more loneliness.

"Wolf, I know you don't like me," he told me calmly, "but I know for the fact that there's something in you that holds you from outright killing me. It could be respect. It could be something else. However, we're sharing this mission together, and I really want to take this opportunity to find out what it is. I... I really don't want arguments from you. I wanted to be friends with you."

"Friends huh?"

It felt... comfortable.

"Yeah. Friendly rivals?"

I looked at his eyes again. I chuckled a bit. "You know... when no one's looking... I could really talk to you like this." The hole in my heart somehow subsided. I just wished it would continue to become smaller.


	11. Myself

**Precious**

**Chapter 11 - Myself**

A few twists and clanks to the engines should keep them working. It still made me wonder why the General used a clunky transport ship to carry the professor's stuff. You'd think they'd be more careful. "And this engine needs some more oil... Geez... Wouldn't they at least send a decent ship for us?"

"Well, the Defense Force lost so much since the Anglar attack," Slippy told me, twisting some loose bolts and pouring some high-density oil at some of the pipes, "so I don't think we'll be having good quality ships. Although I do agree that they should've had given us a well-fixed one! The engines here would collapse if not monitored and maintained within 24 hours!"

Agreed. While I wasn't much of a genius like the frog, I could easily tell that smoking engines, dirty exterior, messy pipes and even odd sounds meant that the ship could easily blow up or lose power without someone looking after them. "Awww..." My shirt was now messy! The stains were quite hard to remove, that laundry was the only option for it to be cleaned. I took my shirt off, only to have my fur get messed up as well. "How stupid of me!" Well, a nice shower later should clean my fur.

I stood up and grabbed the nearest towel. Even with my dark fur, the stains stood out. "Yeah... fur and oil don't match," Slippy commented. Yeah, I had to wash these stains off later. "I wonder how it feels like. I only have moist skin, so oil doesn't stick so much." I laughed. It must be really fun with moist skin not to get messy, but then again not too many were keen with it.

I rubbed the towel around my face and commented, "It feels really, really annoying and like a-"

Whoa! Who the heck was that?

"Umph!"

Krystal! "Oh... sorry... sorry!" Oh my... I just messed her clothes! "I should have been careful!" Her arms were also stained! "I'm really sorry!"

"Tee-hee! It's okay, Panther," she chuckled as if she didn't mind at all. "Just some mess that could be cleaned up with a nice bath. Nothing too much to worry about." She peeked over my shoulder, seeing the restless engine. "So... how are they doing?"

"Worse since yesterday," the frog answered. "These engines weren't really much damaged from the attack yesterday. Judging by the condition of these things, they have been like this since we boarded the ship."

"Oh my," she suddenly replied with a worried tone, "what if something bad happens?"

"Well," I coughed for a bit, hoping not to worry her much, "Slippy and I will try to keep the engines working every day. This ship doesn't have emergency pods or our fighters so..." She was giving a distressed look. "...umm... with that in mind, we will definitely do our best to keep this thing alive for the rest of the trip." She smiled for a bit.

"Never seen you handle machines before, Panther," she asked me with a curious look. I blushed for a bit, because I had never seen people actually becoming curious about me. "Even when I was in your group I haven't seen you work so well with machinery outside the fighter ships."

"Yeah, me too!" Slippy suddenly added. "You're quite good."

I coughed for a bit, smiling at a small opportunity to shine. "Well... My pops was a mechanic. When my mom was away, I usually spend my time with him when he was fixing stuff. When mom died," I coughed again and closed my eyes, seeing Krystal nodding for a bit, "pops became sickly. I had to do his work, tinkering stuff, so I had learned how to man-handle engines." My dad had died soon though, and I had to live a life as a renegade if I had to live. Without my knowledge for mechanics I wouldn't last long in the dangerous life of a mercenary.

"Ah, that's good to hear," she smiled again. "Maybe you should teach me some time while we're around the ship."

I blushed a bit more. I would want to teach her, but I respected her decision to stay with Fox. I was never a man who would break his oath when opportunity arose. "Err... why not Slippy?" I pointed the frog. "He's in your team, and he knows a lot more than me." I could hear the frog laugh.

"Nah, I am not much a good teacher," he laughed, "and well... I have a tendency to speak... umm... 'gibberish' or 'technical'. I doubt Krystal would understand me when I talk like a boring professor! Eh... no offense, of course!"

"None taken," she giggled. "So, what do you think?"

"What about Fox?" I again responded. It was not like I was rejecting her. It was just that as a gentleman, I wanted to show respect to Krystal's decision. If we were seen together, she would be viewed in a negative light.

She sighed for a bit before shaking his head. "Well, Fox hasn't spent much time with me," she spoke back. "He's too focused in our jobs." I wanted to tell her that Fox was just worried about the whole team in general, but she placed her fingers onto my lips. "I know. I know. But still... it felt like he was distancing from me. And now, here, he's more focused at the mission and well... to Wolf." I didn't have to hear that last statement. I already heard Leon's confusion, and now Fox's? "He seems to be too busy these days."

"Well, you should try to understand him," I nodded. "D-don't think I am pushing you away though. I'm just respecting your decision, that's all."

"Don't worry," she smiled again. She was looking at me with a quite distinct face - as if she was really enjoying my company. "You're... you're really messy!"

"And that's what you get for bumping into me!" I laughed, wiping off the mess on her snout. Unfortunately it just spread instead of vanishing. "Oops."

She giggled. I liked it when she made a happy face.

"Hey... um... Panther?" I startled when the frog said that.

Whoops, I nearly forgot. Maintenance wasn't finished yet. "Oh... um... I have to resume maintenance work, Krystal. Sorry."

"Nah, I don't mind. I'll just watch."

Normally I wouldn't mind if females would watch me perform physical tasks while being shirtless, but I felt a bit of embarrassed in front of Krystal. Maybe it was because I didn't want to look weird or funny in front of her. I still couldn't understand it though. I had already given up on my affection towards her. I still loved her, but... I had already made my word.

"Whew... that should do it for now."

"Say, why won't you two have some nice frosted dessert? There are some fruits at the kitchen and some ice cubes we could crush. You guys deserve some nice break after all."

"Good idea!" the frog croaked.

I decided to wipe myself off with any dust. While doing that though, I thought I heard something. It was some sort of buzzing, grinding sound. It was soon making thundering noises. "Uh... Slippy?"

"Oh my... I never heard the engines make a noise like that!" he explained, grabbing a wrench and looking at the engines. "Pressure build-up! Maybe we should loosen some of these bolts."

Loud banging noises from the pipes... grinding noises... This machine... I think it runs on a high-capacity core, but the engines are of low quality. They couldn't handle the power... Oh my, the pressure would be dangerous!

"Slippy, get out!"

I pulled the frog out of the engine, but he accidentally twisted the bolt, loosening it. A strong force blasted me off of my feet. "GAH!" I shouted. The pain! It was piercing! My entire left side was burning with pain! I could feel my blood spewing out from my arm! "UGH!" I couldn't breathe well. The pain! The pain!

"_Krystal, call help! I'll try to stabilize the engine!_"

Voices... fainting...

"_What? What's the matter?_"

Vision... fading...

"_Oh my... Hurry, bring him into the sick bay!_"

Pain... slowly... dying...

"_Panther? What's happening? Pan..._"

I closed my eyes. It felt like I was vanishing. It felt like I was escaping consciousness.


	12. The Feeling of Loss

**Precious**

**Chapter 12 - The Feeling of Loss**

It had been three hours since Panther was sent to the sick bay. I looked at his body keenly through the door of the sick bay. He had severe burns and wounds, bloodstains all over, and he was breathing hard. It was... horrifying. It was strange - normally I would be delighted when I saw blood gushing out from people, or even mine. However, when I saw him clinging to his very life, for some odd reason, I felt quite... worried. It was as if I was afraid that he might stop breathing.

"The medical tools in this ship are crap!" Wolf shouted as he hurled a broken disinfecting ray. "Damn it! Where are those tools when you need them?!"

"_Aahh!! It... burns... ungh..._"

"Just hang on, Panther... Hang on!"

"_Ungh... I couldn't... bear... it..._"

The vixen injected some anesthetics to the cat. I was a bit worried about that though - who knew how old the drugs found here were. His eyes... his pupils were growing and shrinking. I gulped, fearing that he might not make it.

"All right, sewing all open wounds," Slippy ordered, holding a sterilized needle with sutures. "Guys, be careful not to stitch improperly. Krystal, apply the cold ointment on his burns and apply compress!" I never knew the frog was also skilled as a medic. Wolf knew how to treat himself and maybe Fox as well, and Krystal had learned stuff when she was with us. "Careful!"

My heart was throbbing fast. I had never felt such tension when beholding someone who was gripping for his life. And to think that I enjoyed such occasions before in my life. But why did I suddenly change?

"You okay there, Leon?"

Falco startled me. I forgot - he didn't join with them because he had no medical expertise. Or maybe he had his own reasons. "N-no... Panther's there, nearly dying, and I feel strange."

"What do you mean by 'strange'?" I couldn't understand as well.

"Is it normal for someone to feel worried or afraid when they see someone else dying or being hurt a lot?" It was a silly question, to be honest. I wasn't a normal person who lived with his emotions for the most of his life.

He tapped my shoulder and told me, "Well, people would normally sympathize, and some would normally not care. But this is Panther. He is your teammate. It's normal for you to be worried, especially when he is in a critical situation like this." I see. "Oh... I didn't mean to make you feel bad."

"I'm fine. Now that you said it... I am worried... very worried."

I observed Wolf, Fox, Krystal, and Slippy. They were trying their best. The frog was doing his best. The vixen was listening attentively. The wolf was getting hot-headed and irritated. The fox was trying to calm down Wolf while keeping cool under the frog's orders.

"Why... why aren't we in there?"

"I got issues with medical stuff," Falco spoke while nodding his head a bit. Embarrassed? "I could be doing wrong things that it might cost someone's life, you know."

"Careful... I see," I told him. I wanted to tell him so much on the thoughts that lingered in my head. "I couldn't help them inside as well because... aside from being new to this emotion, I... I had a fear of accidentally killing Panther. I might suddenly enjoy seeing him covered in blood that-"

"It's okay," Falco tapped my shoulder again, "besides, if we join them it's gonna be too crowded."

I really didn't want to feel so much anxiety. Maybe I thought that if many people would be helping, he would recover quite fast.

"Well... I'm going to sleep. See you in the bunk." He looked at me to the eyes, and I could see some sort of sympathy from his eyes. Or was it more than sympathy? "Don't worry! He'll be fine. We might not have the best tools, but we have the best medics!" He patted me again before leaving. It felt so warm and fuzzy, that for a moment, my worries vanished. I wanted to express my gratitude, but I didn't know how.

The door opened, and Wolf came out, cursing while sweating hard.

"Damned ship! If we only had the tools we wouldn't have this much trouble operating him!" he shouted. I raised my eyebrow, wondering why he exited the room. "What are you looking at?"

"Shouldn't you be helping them back there?" I asked.

"They told me that I needed to cool down!" he yelled. "How can I relax when one of my teammates is dying in front of me?!" Well, that was good to hear - at least he actually cared for us.

"Well, at least you're showing that you cared for us," I told him. He was a bit shocked of course. "What? I thought you only see us as pawns."

"Just shut up," he growled. I wanted to irritate him for acting like a jerk, as a payback. "At least I am doing something around-"

"You _were_ doing something."

"Fine then," he growled again. "At least I was doing something to help, and not going all emotional!" Again with his annoying arguments. "Panther's my man, and so are you. You're both my responsibility."

"But you never actually treated us like 'men'," I argued back. I wanted to punch him to the face, but as always, I'd rather hurt him through his emotions. "You don't own us, Wolf. Until I see something genuine from you, I will never consider you my leader!"

"Why you...!"

He was about to punch me.

"Wolf!"

I stopped the fist with my hands. The momentum weakened upon hearing Fox's voice.

"Wolf, what are you doing?" he asked the grey lupine. "Why are you two arguing? I only made you cool down, not bring your rage onto Leon!"

"That's it! I've had it here!" Wolf shouted while storming off to the other hallway. I saw a short sight of his eye. Was he... sad?

"You okay, Leon?"

"Fine... Just fine," I responded. I might as well sleep on this. Too much things had happened and I didn't want to bother them. "I'll... I'll sleep."

"I see..." Fox went back to the sick bay. He looked back a bit to the hallway to see if Wolf would come back, but he didn't.

I walked back to the cabin room. I took off my clothing and put on my sleeping dress - a blue sleeved shirt and pajamas. It took me a while to notice Falco, who was half-asleep in his white shorts at the lower bed. "Going to bed too, huh?"

I sat on his bed and sighed, "Yeah... Got a fight with Wolf earlier."

"Added too much pressure on you, huh?"

"Sorta... It's kind of difficult to move around trying to get familiar with feelings and emotions after sealing them for quite a long time."

"Heh, well, I find it nice, actually," Falco chuckled. "I like the new you. Less irritating. More rational."

"A bit confused... but yeah, it feels... nice."

For some odd reason, I wanted something. An expression of gratitude... The last thing I recalled was cuddling the bird. It was really... light. The only thing that could top it was Fox's message from the intercom.

"_All right guys... We did it. Panther's all patched up and resting._"

Nothing was sweeter.


	13. Not a Lone Wolf

**Precious**

**Chapter 13 - Not a Lone Wolf**

There were alcoholic beverages in the fridge of the kitchen. They were cheap beer, mostly labeled as "Spark White!", but I didn't mind. I was not too picky on what will drown me out of my misery. I grabbed a glass and added some ice cubes before I started to plunge into alcoholic relief.

The moment I started to take the liquor made me think a lot. The thoughts of me being alone hadn't bothered me until recently. Fox said that he could be a friendly rival, but that was another thing. I still felt awkward about it, especially because the shame he had given me as the second-best pilot had never been eased. _First glass_. I wanted to have comrades that actually appreciate what I have been doing. The fact that Panther wouldn't hesitate to leave the team the moment Krystal asks him to, and Leon... now that he had found emotions, he would rather stick to his "close friend" than me. That was a hard blow, because he had been in my team since the beginning. _Second glass_. But then I asked myself - why was I having this doubts about them? They hadn't really shown any reluctance at my command. It was only until recently had I begin to doubt them - but only because they had interacted to other people with a very close distance. Maybe... I hadn't actually got to know them quite well. Maybe I didn't deserve their company after all because I never bothered to understand them more...

I began to chug on my third glass when a familiar silhouette came in. I could tell that it was Fox, but I didn't care. I wanted to enjoy my escape from the cruel reality.

"Wolf..."

"What?" He just stood there, looking at me as if he was pitying me. Being pitied... now that was something I never liked. "What do you want?"

"About what Leon said..."

"I don't care." Why did my voice say that? I cared. Why did I have to deny it?

"He just probably didn't know that you actually liked their company. And you were really a bit hot-headed earlier so..."

"That's not it, damn it!" I shouted back at him. Again, I felt my cheeks running with tears. Damn beer, not doing its job. "For once in your life, wouldn't you want to be appreciated because you did something for them? The fact that I'm getting rejected before I could even show what I could do proves that no one wanted... me..."

"Wolf... what are you saying? You aren't like this at all." To tell the truth... yeah.

"I am also asking myself the same question! Why... why are we acting like this?! We weren't all mushy and emotional until we took the mission! Whatever penetrated Star Wolf... it is doing a fine good job at tearing us apart!" I cried out again.

"You finally got to socialize with other people without a mercenary mindset?" His response felt like I was being oblivious to the truth.

"B-but we approached this mission as people who are entirely dedicated only for the mission!" I was getting irrational. I was complaining like some immature wolf over something so trivial. Was it because my rough exterior had been shaken down to the core?

"Look... Wolf," he told me with a calm voice, "just... let's just go to sleep. When you wake up, you'll feel better. Try to talk to your teammates like a real person, and not like a tough leader." He really cared... I could feel it.

"You really think so?"

"Yeah," he smiled.

I stood up and followed him. I was pretty much amazed - he was younger than me, granted that he was only a year younger, but he acted quite mature towards me. I only whined and cried about things that normally would be solved by being rational and diplomatic. It was, I guess, part of my flaws as a person.

"I..."

"What is it, Wolf?"

"I... could cry... when no one's looking around... save you," I said to him as a whisper while walking towards our cabin. "I... I can't explain why."

"Maybe... because you see me as an equal, and that you believe that I can understand you because we are equal?"

"Maybe," I spoke back. The effects of the alcohol didn't last on me. After all, I could still feel a rather warm feeling when talking to him.

It looked like the frog wouldn't be sleeping with us. He wasn't in the room. "Oh right... Slippy and Krystal remained in the sick bay to look after Panther. I hope he recovers soon."

"Well, I guess it's just you and me, huh?" I asked while changing my clothes. "Not that it's different like last time."

"Yeah," he answered while climbing to his bunk. I rested myself on my bed when he suddenly asked, "Say Wolf... Do you miss your father?"

Why did he suddenly ask that? "What do you mean?"

"You said that he died in front of your eyes when you were young... Have you ask yourself how your life would've been when he didn't die?" It... it hadn't actually occurred to me. The reconditioning made me forget most of my life and it had only been recently since I began to cherish his memory again. "Oh... sorry if I suddenly asked that. I was just wondering... because I had asked myself how I would've grown up with dad. I would've been a fighter like today, only more skilled because he was with me... and I had better memories about him."

I could have better memories as well. I could have grown up like you. We could have become teammates or friends. After all, your father and mine were best friends. "I... I really don't know what to say. I guess I'd be a usual fighter pilot, but then again, I might find some other interests in life." Something still stopped me from telling him the truth.

"Ah well... I see..." I could tell that he wanted to learn more, but I'd rather not share it with him right now.

"Night, Fox."

"Goodnight."

I woke up quite early, and I felt... comfortable, as if I had removed a thorn from my chest. I glanced back at the room, seeing the frog sleeping and Fox still asleep. I decided to check out Panther, hopefully still asleep too so that I could calculate some things to say to him. Fox told me that I should talk to my teammates about how I really see them, that it would hopefully make me understand them clearly.

As soon as I entered the room, I saw Krystal talking to Panther, who seemed to have recently awoken from his coma, and Leon, who was just there being company. "Star Wolf," I murmured. Yeah, it was the four of us then, until she left.

"Oh, hello Wolf," Krystal smiled. "Panther's just opened his eyes. He was hungry!"

Panther then laughed, "I wouldn't want Leon to be spoon-feeding me, now would I?" The chameleon smiled for a bit, but I knew he would make a joke had I not entered the room.

"Say... um... Krystal," I asked her, "Could I... talk to them for a while... in private? I'll tell you when it's fine. If you don't want to though, it's okay."

"No, I'm fine with it. In fact, I think that's a good idea," she smiled, leaving a hot porridge to the table beside Panther's bed. "Heh, you'll have to eat later, Panther!" She exited the room and waited outside, leaving me, the chameleon, and the panther.

"So gonna sermon us?" Leon said with a rather annoyed voice. I decided to keep it cool. I wouldn't move forward if I would lose my temper.

"N-no," I responded while keeping a low, humbled voice. "I just..." My words were a bit tangled in my head, but I wanted to tell them my thoughts in a clear fashion. "I... Sorry if I seem like a person who wouldn't care... I... I just really had a hard time showing it to you. I... I wanted to become a good leader... Maybe because I want to show Fox that I was a better leader. Maybe because I want to show to everyone that I can do it too. I dunno... But I know for sure that I wouldn't treat you like pawns or anything! I know you guys exist too, and... as I said before, you are both my responsibility!" I hadn't pause for a slightest bit.

Panther just smiled. "I know."

The chameleon followed. "Same." He then gave a smile - a rather friendly and warm smile. "It's just that we were waiting for you to actually say it to us. You know, like a real person?"

"Guys..."

"To be honest, I was doubting about it, but when you showed your worried self - albeit hot tempered, when this cat here was nearly dying, I know for certain that you really do care for us," the chameleon added.

"He what? Now, now... that is something I wanted to hear!" the panther commented. "I'll ask Krystal later."

"Heh... guys..." For a moment there, I wanted to cry. It seemed it was not only in front of Fox that I could show my real emotions. "Oh... anyway, I shouldn't be keeping you from your meal... See you around." When I exited, I looked at Krystal and gave a smile.

I heard her say, "Well done, Wolf."


	14. Unrequited Love

**Precious**

**Chapter 14 - Unrequited Love**

It had been many hours since I opened my eyes. I wasn't able to move much throughout the whole day, given that every time I tried to move a muscle, my wounds would ache. I had Slippy bring me some of the movies found in the ship, and I was quite disappointed. The movie selections were terrible. I was not into music unless it was played a guitar, but sadly most of the stuff here were classical songs.

"How about a book?" he suggested.

"I would... if I could turn the page with my hands!" I answered back. Somehow, I managed to find myself amusing when I couldn't do a thing. "The monitor sucks as well - nothing interesting to watch. We're gonna reach Zoness space responsibility though, so we might be able to get better shows." He simply shook his head.

"We will arrive at Zoness space responsibility tomorrow though, so until then we'll be receiving general Cornerian signals," he replied. Well, that settled it. I would die of boredom. "You sure you don't want to watch any of the movies here?"

"Not interested in those things. They're quite pretentious." I looked at him and his toolkit on his belt. "You know, I really want to help maintain the ship..."

"Nope. You can't."

"Yeah. I know. I was just saying." He then left the room. Oh well, I might as well amuse myself with random thoughts. I looked around before glancing at myself. It took me a while to realize that I was naked save for a pair of white boxers and a blanket. Most of my body was covered in bandages.

The door opened. Krystal came in, carrying a bowl of soup - it smelled like... oh my, could it be! "Hello, Panther!" she greeted me with a warm smile. "I brought you your favorite soup - Corn Mackerel Soup." Indeed, the sweet aroma mixed with the sourness and the spiciness of the fish, bathing the essence of corn... How could I ever resist such first class dish? "Oh, Panther, don't give me that look! You look like a kid!"

"Who cooked it?" I asked. "You or Leon?" Back when she was at the team, she and Leon cooked for us. She learned some from the chameleon and developed her own style... especially to my favorite soup. While they both make the same dish, Krystal's cooking sided more to the easiness to swallow whereas Leon was more taste-oriented. Both were good though.

She giggled, "Actually, Leon and I cooked it for you. Although Wolf said he wanted to help so he was the one who poured this in the bowl." She sat down beside me while putting the bowl at the end table. "So... How're you feeling?"

"A bit hard to move - I dunno if it's because of the bandages or the wounds, but otherwise I'm fine," I smiled back. "I got nine lives, and I am one hell of a lucky black cat! Ouch!" I tried to move my arm but it looked like I got carried away - it stung for a bit. "Err... Spoon-feeding?"

"Well, yes." Her face told me how obvious it was. It was not like I wouldn't mind though. "Oh, don't tell me you don't like being spoon-fed!"

I grinned. "That depends. You? Sure. Leon? Nah. Wolf? I don't think so." She chuckled quite loudly, that I too laughed.

It wasn't long before she started to spoonfeed me. Of course, as a man, I was a bit of embarrassed, as it didn't look what a gentleman would allow, but I had no other choice. I soon enjoyed it however, especially after tasting the delicious soup with my tongue.

"So... umm... Panther," she suddenly asked. I looked at her face and wondered what she wanted to ask. "I was interested... How did you end up as a space drifter? I mean, weren't you taking care of your father?"

I looked down to my blanket for a bit. It took me a while to sum up my thoughts about what happened to my father and mother, particularly to my father, who died in front of me. "Well... As I said, he got sick when my mom died. He eventually passed away."

"Oh... sorry, I didn't know." She placed the spoon back into the bowl and looked at me keenly. "It must be so hard for you."

"It's okay... And yeah, it was hard for me," I replied. "Well... When he died, I figured that I wouldn't survive any longer alone in the workshop. I decided to bring important stuff - particularly my family's memento, and tools and supplies... Life after that was a dangerous but a thrilling life... I became a hired mercenary. At first I was picky on my missions, but then, as I learned, in order to survive, I had no choice but to risk on shady dealings."

"And you got that scar of yours from some dangerous missions right?"

Well, her interest seemed to pick up. "Yeah. Got an enemy knife nearly sliced off my eye. I was able to mend it, but the scar turned white. And well, as most mercenaries, I got labeled as a criminal in Corneria. Thankfully I was a low-profile type of criminal, so I could still go around in the city provided that I don't meet people who actually know that I was a wanted person. Soon, I was able to enjoy the finest foods in Corneria."

"But how did you end up in Star Wolf?" A nice question.

"Well, I was looking for some jobs when the two came in. They said that they had heard of my abilities, the ability to survive. They hired me as soon as they saw me move around Sargasso's rough and tough innards. I was able to fly a Wolfen, and well, I improved over the years." It was more than that though. Sargasso was really a rough place to be, and I had no idea why Wolf would want to stay there. It soon struck me though - he wanted a base, and he was one of the best space drifters around.

"You have an interesting story after all, Panther!" she again smiled back. "For someone who is labeled as a criminal though, you surely like to be a charismatic person."

"I guess it was because of my mother," I told her. I thought so too. "While I loved my father, I was really close to my mother. I guess that's why I like women... probably because I thought that I could express the love she showed to me to another female - someone who will share our love." I felt a bit nervous when saying that, especially in front of Krystal.

Krystal looked at me for a bit before standing up. She kissed me... to the cheek! I... I... I was quite... happy that... I was pretty sure I was getting hot. "I hope you'll find the person who you will share your love with." She took the bowl and walked off to the door.

I looked at her before she closed the door. I whispered to myself something that I couldn't admit to her the moment I had made a vow. "You're the woman I wanted to share this love with, Krystal," I told myself. I felt quite guilty for saying that. I had promised that I would not cry. I had promised that I would set her free.

The door opened again, and this time, Wolf came in. "So, how's the black cat?"

"Still kicking." I remembered earlier what Leon told me - what Wolf did when I was being operated. "By the way, I really wished Krystal would've recorded your face when you were operating me. I heard your face was priceless!"

I expected him to throw a pillow at my face. He did.


End file.
